Flummoxed! squeaky accessory belt on subaru.

[vash]

wife's subie developed a radiator leak awhile back. pin hole so it soaked everything when it sprayed. i think the belt "glazed" or something and would scream when the engine was cold. no biggie..i installed new GATES belts. still screaming..checked belts, felt they were on the loose side..tightened them..still occasionally screams. especially when the weather is cold. and this recent cold spell dropping us into light sweater (and long pants) weather has been extremely brutal..

it still squeals occasionally! what am i doing wrong? i remember Gates hoses not sucking in the past. do i need to clean all the pulleys?

this car has two mini serpentine belts. both easy enough to change. should i get OEM belts and take another crack at it?

i never had issues with belts before. come on..this is shadetree mechanics 101..am i losing it?

[flipper35]

Going through this for the last year and a half. Got coolant on the serpentine and it squeals everytime one section goes over the idler pulley. Replaced the belt twice now and the idler pulley. Still does it now and then. I think maybe the idler pulley is slightly out of alignment on ours.

So, I am jumping on to see if someone else can resolve your issue and maybe it will work for mine.

[trekkor]

Could be the tensioner or idler making the noise. Squirt a little oil into the bearings if they are not sealed and see if they settle.

Permatex makes a "belt dressing" that can quiet the belts if they are noisy.

[Aragorn]

Most sites say without the right tension the belt will squeal when it gets cold. Could possibly be the belt tensioner.

Belt Squeal when cold - Subaru Outback - Subaru Outback Forums

[widebody911]

BTDT - try tightening it

[wportervt]

What year/engine is your Subaru? Does it happen all the time or only when you start the car? We've got a 2005 Legacy GT with what I thought was a belt squeal on cold startup and I've been told it may actually be the starter motor sticking and producing a similar sound. All of our belts have been replaced and properly tensioned so at this point that's what I'm thinking the sound must be.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

see if the bearing in fan pulley bracket is good.

[cabmandone]

The belt tensioner on the older 2.2 and 2.5 non turbo are pretty straight forward, a bolt that pushes down an a idler pulley. I'd question if you don't have antifreeze residue on your pulleys causing a squeal? My 04 Impreza has started squealing on the power steering side since it has gotten cold out but clears up pretty quick.

Did you check to make sure everything was rotating freely before you put things back together? Possibly a alternator starting to seize up or the power steering pump.

If ya get tired of that squeal I'll take that subie off your hands.

[vash]

okay..jonesing to get home to take another swing at it.

i'll check for tightness again..but i think i got it damn tight.

this is a 2005 turbo forester...low mileage. it only happens when it is cold. it is clearly the belts..i have that sound burned into my brain by all the people in El Paso texas that dont rank car maintenence in the top 10 priority.

man..i hope it isnt an accessory. whatever..i have the tools

[oldE]

Yes check the tension again, but I'd try cleaning the pulleys with alcohol or something to get rid of the coolant residue.
As mentioned above, if you have the belt off for cleaning, check the idler bearing for function/

Good luck
Les

[aschen]

Im sure its a bad Idea but I spray crc belt conditioner on my EJ25t (same motor as you) belts.

It seems to help. I still get an occasional squeek on start up. I Blame what I think to be a tired power steering pump for causing excess drag.

[cabmandone]

I rescind my offer to take your subie. The turbo Forrester is a fun car but always filling up with premium would get old for me.

[Aragorn]

One more thread that has a decent decision tree to help track down the squeal.

Whining - Alternator ? - Subaru Forester Owners Forum

A squeal like you are mentioning that goes away once the engine warms up usually is a sign of a bad bearing somewhere in the mix.

[cabmandone]

One more thought. Remove your two belts and start the engine for a few seconds and see if the noise goes away. You could have a idler on your timing belt going bad.

If the noise goes away with the belts removed then thoroughly clean and inspect your pulleys then put the belts back on one at a time to see which side your noise comes from. Since your water pump is part of the timing belt loop, the only essential piece you'll be eliminating is your alternator and that won't hurt as long as you're not cranking the engine for long periods of time.

On the plus side, at least you don't have the dreaded 2.5 L piston slap like my Impreza does.

[Nostril Cheese]

Man I hate working on the EJ25.

Do what cabmando says. I would be checking the timing belt idler pulleys.

[Steve Carlton]

Forester? Does it squeal when your wife starts it, or just you?

[rusnak]

I would try new pulleys and a different brand of belt. Sometimes new belts just squeal and the best way to get rid of the annoying sound is to use a different belt.

[vash]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

Forester? Does it squeal when your wife starts it, or just you?

depends on what...ahh nevermind. there are children present

[pavulon]

FWIW, me thinks Forester XT's (especially manuals) are quirky cool.

[vash]

Originally Posted by widebody911

BTDT - try tightening it

Winner! I felt another car up and was stunned how tight things are. Loaded up one of the belts. Viola! Done. Thanks everyone.